[IC] Guardians of Kado Village (Anime Inspired Fantasy)

[Parser]

Kun Fan suppressed a grin as he stroked his beard, "Oh, but of course, brother, how could I forget? Yes, the terrible swamp beast, who hoards great wealth deep within the Grotto of the Gulai!"
He packed his pipe as he spoke, "Yes, yes; quite the tale, that. Legend says it can only be slain by the mightiest of heroes, and that a great boon will be granted to whoever can accomplish such a task... It is a shame, though, that there is no one willing to stop and have a drink with us weary old men, for it is truly a magnificent tale.", he tutted as he snapped his fingers and lit his pipe, taking a long draw. Kun Fan sighed.
"Yes, it is truly a shame that none wish to hear of the grotto's guardian, is it not?"

[Professor_Wyvern]

Guo Fu nodded at his brother, "It is a shame that no one wants to hear that tale. I do enjoy that tale. The most sinister swamp beast who holds so much treasure. OH it is a shame no one wants to stop and have a drink with two weary men, who wish to just share a fine tale, and a fine drink. I remember how it is told about the creature's Grotto is actually glimmering with the treasure it holds within it. I remember that part where it says that even the blind may see, if they look upon the creature's wealth, but not of the creature's visage, lest they turn blind again. OH yes, the mightiest of heroes who were armed with the knowledge the tale provides..." Guo Fu nodded a bit, "Would be known for their great deed, who few would be able to match." Guo Fu shook his head as he looked down for a moment. His eyes darted towards both the left and to the right, as he moved back his head. He glanced at his brother, "Yes it is a shame no one wants to hear of that story."

[IncredibleBee]

Ken Jian slept as he lived: eyes open, hand clenching a drawn sword. He entered the world of the waking sitting in the middle of an empty dojo, alone, as was normal. He'd accidentally bisected a deer in his sleep again, which was also normal, and would also explain the strange dream he'd had the night before, the one where he'd killed a deer that had wandered in. That was okay though; a little carrion never hurt anyone. Besides, it meant his reflexes were up to par.

After removing the gore from his blade, he dragged the viscera from his home, depositing it on the front lawn. It'd be like a natural fertilizer. Probably.

In any case, he had to attract new students. He grabbed an iron helmet from a storage closet, and began the short trek into the village proper. It was normal as any day, with children playing, pungent smells coming from that spice restaurant, and his fellow elder talking about a magical ancient guardian.

He knew of the grotto and its guardian. His school's founder had fought it, and it inspired him to create one of their signature techniques.
"I know of the grotto and its guardian. My sword school's founder fought it many years ago. They say that duel inspired him to create one of our signature techniques." he spoke up.

[ruronihs]

Garoth was a nimble boy, but even he couldn't match the half-elf's agility in the trees. He was a good enough climber on his own, and had it been anyone else he probably would have declined assistance, but since it was Key he took the hand and accepted help onto the first branch. Upon taking his perch next to Keyton, he looked at the branch that they were targeting, and his eyes quickly began scanning the trunk of the tree for the best path to get there. "We could get higher if I just flew up to the top..." he mumbled. but he didn't seriously entertain the notion; he was only just learning how to control his other form, and the last thing he needed was to explain to his Grandfather why he got stuck in a tree. Without any further delay, he hoisted himself up to the next branch, then grabbed a branch above him and used it to swing across a gap and lend in a better position to reach their goal. Garoth was sure that if he could do it, it would be easy for Keyton. He took a few more steps up, but then found the the final branch was just a few inches beyond his grasp. He could jump up for it, but from this height... maybe he'd let Keyton try first. "Can you reach it?" he asked. "If we can get up there, that would be perfect. We'd be just high enough to see over the smaller trees."

[Parser]

Kun Fan turned to face the voice, "Ken, you old dog! Have you gone deaf as well? Clearly, you are thinking of Genbu's Grotto, whereas I am speaking of the Grotto of the Gulai! Common mistake, really. The swamp is home to many grottoes, after all."
He took another draw on his pipe as he gestured for Ken to sit.
"Yes, yes, that is certainly what has happened. No other explanation for it, really."

[Professor_Wyvern]

Guo Fu faced the voice, "Oh yes, Ken! Yes, yes... Genbu's Grotto is the one you are thinking of. Oh, brother has beat me to it." Guo Fu shook his head. He peered around, as he began pulling on both sides of his mustache, "But the Grotto of Gulai... the creature there, oh it is a horrific sight. Few can properly describe the horrors that ensue, mostly as the majority of them who went died." Guo Fu sat down cross-legged. He patted down the ground while looking at Ken. "Now where was I... Oh yes, many say the Grotto while beautiful to look at, due to the glimmering hold, is said to have a most noxious odor to it. Oh yes, the sheer carnage and rotting bodies there..." Guo Fu shook his head as he made short clicking sounds, "Well, BROTHER, CAN YOU RECALL THE AMOUNT OF HEROES THAT WERE SAID TO HAVE GONE TO THAT GROTTO, ONLY TO PERISH?"

[Parser]

"Oh, MANY, dear brother! More than an old man such as I could remember!"
He tutted quietly between draws of the pipe for dramatic effect.
"Yes, if only we had some sort of... mental stimulation, such that it could revitalize an old man's ailing mind. Some trade, perhaps. Oh, yes, if only! Why, with enough, I think I could even recall the beast's appearance, or perhaps its location! Why, I may even remember the secret to defeating such a creature! Who knows what answers lie in an old man's thoughts?"

[Professor_Wyvern]

"Yes, if only we could have a form of mental stimulation, to help find the answers in an old man's thoughts. I too think I may remember the secret to defeating the creature. Yes, a trade of sorts does seem like it'd provide enough mental stimulation to rattle around these thoughts which would prove useful." Guo Fu began rubbing his chin, "Yes if only someone wanted to engage in a sort of trade... Perhaps a barter of sorts, perhaps we could remember the details proper. And for someone, who would want to travel to engage such a beast, they would enjoy a drink. After all, you can't hit the road, or rather lack of road, without a good cold one!"

[IncredibleBee]

"Hmm. Were I a bit younger, I'd already be out to cut that beast to pieces. Alas, the Four Gods Style is already perfect; I doubt the beast would stand up to many of my techniques." Ken commented.

"By they way, I'm on the search for students today, and I wanted to know if you had any sons interested in learning a useful sword style. I know most of the Guardians don't receive formal training upon joining, so it's an unorganized mess, really. I'm thinking about recruiting from there."

"A small army all trained in the Four Gods Style...." he mused to himself. "It'd be just like my twenties again~"

[GuySenpai]

Keyton smiled and hoisted his buddy up and then let Garoth take his own route up the tree. He briefly imagined a situation in which Garoth indeed took his winged form and the elf leapt onto his back, riding the beast high above the trees and excitedly screaming, his keen climbing skills in action as his mind wandered. By the time he snapped out of his fantasy he had already followed up behind his friend, instinctively climbing and moving his hands and legs to take the most effective route while he glanced out over the area around him and breathed in the fresh air, a huge grin spread across his face as it always did when he climbed. Standing by Garoth's side Key looked down over at the drop below then back to the branch they were trying to get to. "Yeah I can make that." He said with a slight shrug. "But I'm not sure you could, no offence." He meant it, if he needed to Keyton had a special technique to stop himself falling and one that would help him jump a little further, he was also slightly more agile than his Shifter counterpart, even for the prospect of this exciting adventure it wasn't worth the risk. "I do have an idea though,"

Reaching to his back Keyton took out his staff, the sturdy wooden pole was on his back and the half-elf spun it around before pointing the shiny green gem on the top at the branch before them. "Watch this." He loved showing off his tricks to his friends and he was glad that it was coming in handy, he shut his eyes and focused his magic into the stick, slowly at first the old branch began to creek and crack before bending around to the pair almost like a bridge. With a slight giggle of joy Keyton opened his eyes and set off up the ramp like branch a slight swagger in his walk, whirling the staff away behind him and brimming with pride. Soon he stopped and bent down to sit over the edge of the top of the branch, moving a hand to shield his eyes from the sun and looking out over at the land below them.

[Parser]

"Ken, I am fifteen years your senior. I live in a swamp with my brother and my cat. What makes you think that I would have sons?"
He suppressed a laugh.
"On second thought, do not answer that."

[Professor_Wyvern]

Guo Fu laughed, "Sons!? What makes you think I'd have sons... If I did have any sons, I would have no idea where they were. Or maybe I would." Guo Fu shook his head, "Oh I am just rambling now." He scratched the back of his left hand as he glanced at Ken. "Nope, no sons. How's the recruitment drive been so far?"

[Zero Hex]

When the group rudely ignored him, pretending to not hear him at all, Kumazawa finally spotted Tetsuo among them. Figured. "Bah, screw you too then. See what I do when you come crying to me all "Oh please Mister Kumazawa come use your spectacular muscles to solve this problem we're too puny to handle", bunch of pricks. Tetsuo when people use your food as a dare, it ain't good food". And with that, he was off in a huff. He'd work freelance for them, for the good of the village and all, but he didn't like most of the Guardians, lots of cocky shits who got themselves a title and considered themselves above the common folk.

Fortunately, there were some decent people around, like the Xaio brothers or Ken, who happened to be talking just over yonder. "Heeeey, Booze Brothers! Sword Guy! How's life? Anything interesting going on?"

[Parser]

"Oh, yes! We were just speaking of the forbidden beasts that hide deep within the Grotto of the Gulai, guarded by a savage beast!", he winked at Kumazawa before placing his hand on his forehead in an melodramatic fashion.
"Oh, but greatest of woes, I have forgotten the details of this most wondrous tale! If only someone would give an old man some mental exercise- some barter, perhaps- I am certain I would be able to recall!"

[ruronihs]

Saya began to take a few steps backward towards the HQ as her conversation with Tetsuo seemed to be growing into a small crowd. Lately, she hadn't been spending much time in larger groups of people, preferring quiet and solitude. And then, the very reason she had come to dislike such gatherings unfolded before her. Million wanted to help, Kumazawa wanted to help, and even Alexander wanted to know what was going on. Then, for reason's Saya couldn't comprehend, Kumazawa's brotherly greeting tuned into an irritated string of insults, perhaps because his emphatic greeting was not met with equal enthusiasm. She had given him a nod; hand't he seen that? In any case, while Tetsuo raised an eyebrow at the personal insult, Saya just sighed and shook her head. "Meeting. Tonight. Spread the word." With that she turned away and slipped in through the doors of the HQ.

Tetsuo was left giving Alexander and Million a hurt look. "Not food? Does he have any idea how hard it is to balance heat with flavor? Way harder than just dipping something in grease and calling it a meal..." Then he posed a question to the two that were still standing before him. "You guys understand right? Cajun beats deep-frying any day!" Tetsuo was clearly riled up by the insult, but it wouldn't have gotten to him so much if he wasn't the only one in the group that Kumazawa had singled out. He could understand if he got mad because he felt left out -- hell he would have even apologized for it -- but that was no reason to go insulting someone's livelihood. He hoped that there would be some kind of action soon so he could blow off some of this newfound steam.

* * *

"I could make it if I had to..." Garoth grumbled, but he didn't have time to prove his friend wrong, for the branch slowly began to bend and form a bridge over to the perch. It was cool watching Keyton use his magic, but it also made him wish that his grandfather would be more forthcoming about how to use his own. Your abilities must grow naturally with you, he would say. You will lose control if you rush it. Well, waiting eleven years didn't seem like rushing to him, but he respected his grandfather's wishes nonetheless. "Aw, now you made it too easy," Garoth said in lieu of a compliment and joined his friend on the branch. Keyton was definitely the superior climber, but Garoth's eyes made him the superior scout. Even from this height, he could identify the mice running about the brush through the breaks in the canopy. If there were any monsters moving about, he would find them. But...

"I don't see anything..." Garoth said in a disappointed tone after several minutes of scanning. However, his eyes suddenly locked on a point on the horizon. "Wait..." He could barely make out what it was, even squinting to get a better view, but it was well outside of the forest, farther away than the Guardians needed to concern themselves with. "Is that smoke? Yea, it looks like there was a fire over there..." but a fire was no monster, and of no interest to Garoth. "Just a fire, no monsters." With a sigh, he shrugged and stopped his search. He wouldn't mind hanging out in the tree tops for a while, but he was convinced that there was nothing cool for them to find lurking in the woods.

[GuySenpai]

Turning to look at the smoke in distance Keyton also sighed a little with disappointment. He stood up and made ready to descend the tree, maybe the two could find something else interesting to do until the elf resumed his training and studies. "Hold up a sec..." He frowned and looked out at the fire again. "That fire's waaaay out from the village, I don't see a reason anyone would start one." There was never really a good reason to start a fire, he began to stroke his chin as he saw his father did when thinking. "And would the guardians really need to hold a meeting about it?" His trail of thought was coming to a close. "What if the monster is the one that started the fire?!" His eyes widened a little as the conclusion fell upon him and. "That means it can shoot fire! It might be a dragon!" He looked down over the edge of the branch and began to think up the fastest route to the floor that the two could manage and then looked up to Garoth waiting for his word to move.

[IncredibleBee]

"You know what's better than bartering stories about monsters? Swords." Ken Jian stated. "As a matter of fact, I was about to make a demonstration in town. With luck, there's some youngster in town who won't wimp out of training this time. I don't think any of them realize how useful it is to be able to use a sword in your feet. They act all fancy with their 'oh look at me dual wield' and 'oh I have throwing knives'. My old master developed a way to use eleven swords at once, like a hurricane of death and metal."

[Descartes]

The old man crossed his arms and waited for Saya to leave. Then, Alexander left himself, after he made it clear that he wasn't following. His arms seemed tense as he waved goodbye to the others. It was a good thing that he wasn't a guardian anymore, and so he didn't feel the need to attend the meeting. However, if things were escalating like he calculated they would... then it'd be a much better act of judgement to simply stay in his tree and wait out the fight. After all, Alexander expected he'd have died of old age anyways.

"Death in battle wouldn't be worth it; not for these people." Alexander thought to himself. Alexander went over to the village, passing out poetry to people, sometimes given small scraps of food, usually fruit or eggs. Sometimes, he'd also be donated ink or paper for more. It was a subsistence living, but he was sure that the rest of the village had it several leagues worse.

Then, as he checked the position of the sun, Alexander knew it was that time again. He went to locate the old brothers. It was beer time.

"And you know what's better than swords? More swords!" Alexander joked, walking in as Ken Jian began speaking.

[IncredibleBee]

"This guy." Ken said, pointing to Alexander. "This guy gets it. Swords are the way to go."

He looked at the helmet he was carrying before viewing something odd over the tree line. There appeared to be a thick column of smoke. That was no good. "See that? Some fools lit a fire. Probably those lousy guardians. No formal training. No discipline. Probably thought they could keep bears away with smoke, or an attempt to rid a hornet's nest gone awry. Youngsters these days don't know how we did it in my day. One of my training exercises when I was young was to just get rid of the hornets' nests using a sword. If hornets attacked, we were expected to sword fight them with dignity!"

[Descartes]

Alexander laughed, watching Ken Jian closely. He didn't actually care for what he was saying, he just wanted his beer faster. Alexander nodded, as he listened, trying to make it look as if he were paying attention. "Yeah" he said, in response to Ken Jian's reminiscence to his old training tactics, knowing for a fact that training back in Alexander's own home city weren't even that intensive. Of course, many of his fellow soldiers died while on guard. It was a good thing that Alexander wasn't one of them.

"We should go check it out" Alexander suggested. He wasn't actually interested in solving the problem, but he was ready if that meant free alcohol.